Name a key pitching category, odds are Kade Anderson leads the Minors in it
This browser does not support the video element.
Kade Anderson has reached the point where dominance in his starts is no longer a surprise but rather the expectation.
Baseball's top-ranked pitching prospect twirled 5 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out seven on Friday night, extending a scoreless streak that dates back more than five weeks for Double-A Arkansas, which fell to Tulsa, 4-1, at ONEOK Field.
The 22-year-old allowed a pair of singles and a walk and tossed 79 pitches (53 strikes) en route to a fourth consecutive scoreless start. Anderson has not surrendered a run since July 3 and has yielded just four in his past 11 appearances going back to May 22.
MLB’s No. 5 prospect was never threatened, keeping Tulsa out of the hit column until he allowed a single with one out in the fourth. By that point, Anderson had mowed through the meat of the order twice, including Top 100 prospects Josue De Paula (LAD No. 1/MLB No. 6) and Mike Sirota (LAD No. 2/MLB No. 16). The Dodgers’ dynamic tandem finished hitless in five at-bats against the southpaw, who has limited opponents to a .147 average in 2026.
It was the 13th time in 18 starts Anderson has kept opponents from touching home plate. The LSU product sports a microscopic 1.06 ERA, an 0.64 WHIP and a video-game-like 135/13 K/BB ratio in 93 1/3 innings, numbers that both lead the Minor Leagues and illustrate just how difficult it has been for opposing hitters to find any sort of rhythm against him.
A quick glance at Anderson’s statistics are eye-opening in and of itself, but his strikeout numbers are particularly gaudy. The 6-foot-2, 179-pounder’s 40.5 percent strikeout rate is also the best in the Minors and opponents have amassed a sub-.400 OPS (.399) against him, garnering just 13 extra-base hits all season.
That level of dominance has made Anderson’s eventual arrival in Seattle one of the biggest storylines in the organization. The Mariners' No. 1 prospect has been named Texas League Pitcher of the Week five times, represented the Mariners at last month’s All-Star Futures Game and has seemingly gotten better as the season has continued.
Based on numbers alone, there seems little left for him to prove at Double-A, but as with all players and organizations, certain benchmarks are in play. The Mariners may ultimately decide that another stop is necessary before he makes his Emerald City debut. After all, the Louisiana-born hurler is barely a year removed from college.
For now, Anderson will continue to stymy some of the best hitters in the Minors who continue to try and solve a problem that few have been able to figure out all season.